Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel reflects on 2021 F1 rules and pinpoints “wrong direction”. Seb on on 2021 F1 rules .

Scuderia Ferrari German driver Sebastian Vettel says he doesn’t want Formula 1 cars to become “slow” again after the sport revealed new rules which are expected to increase lap times by over three seconds. The FIA’s head of single-seater matters Nikolas Tombazis estimated the new cars for the 2021 F1 season would be “between three, three and a half second slower per lap”.

Sebastian Vettel does believe the cars were too slow, in F1 terms, three years ago: “I think the cars are a lot more spectacular since 2017,” said the Ferrari drivers. “Now we know what the cars can do. It was quite slow before that. Obviously we had very little drag and it was great in a straight line but that’s not the exciting bit for us and it was significantly slower than maybe some years earlier.” – Seb explained.

F1’s target for its 2017 regulations was to reduce lap times by five seconds at the Circuit de Catalunya compared to 2015. That target was beaten – the cars were 5.5 seconds quicker. Compared to 2016, the 2017 cars were 2.3 seconds per lap faster on average across the whole season.

Sebastian Vettel said does not agree that making the cars quicker was “the wrong direction” for F1. “The wrong direction, in my point of view, is that the cars are so heavy. Which is obviously related to, in a way, some of the safety measures. But I think everybody accepts that. [And] the power unit. So that is really, I think, the biggest difference if you really make a big [comparison] between now, where we are, and where Formula 1 has been 10 or 20 years ago.” – he added.

But he does believe the sport is doing the right thing by trying to make it easier for drivers to race closely: “The target that we’ll set out is to make a step forward. Now, obviously we have an idea. I think everyone was sort of waiting for that day to come. And now I think we need to try and understand what exactly that idea means. Obviously, on paper, the ideas are always great. I think it will materialise a little bit more in the coming weeks. So we’ll see in the end of the day. No matter how the cars look, if the racing is better for us, it’s more fun then. That’s a win.” – Scuderia Ferrari German driver Sebastian Vettel concluded.